The English Garden – September 2019

12 THE ENGLISH GARDEN SEPTEMBER 2019

WORDS

PHOEBE JAYES

IMAGES

GAP/HOWARD RICE; SHUTTERSTOCK

Checklist

O Begin to prune

climbing roses as

the fl owers start to

fade. Remove dead-

or unhealthy-looking

stems by cutting them

to ground level.

O Plant spring-

fl owering bulbs such

as da odils, crocuses,

scillas and hyacinths in

borders and pots now.

O Protect ripening fruit

from birds by covering

with tightly stretched

netting or growing

trees and bushes inside

a fruit cage.

O Start mowing the

lawn less frequently

as growth slows and,

towards the end of the

month, remove thatch,

aerate and top dress

with a mix of two parts

sieved soil, two parts

sharp sand and one

part sieved garden

compost.

O Plant autumn onion

sets about 8cm apart

in well-drained soil with

the tips just visible.

DIVIDE Perennials

With soil still warm from summer and reliably moist, autumn is a good

time to divide established clumps of early summer-flowering perennials

Once your perennials have
fi nished fl owering, either
cut them down to tidy your
borders or, if they have good-
looking stems and seedheads,
leave them in place for winter
interest. You can also lift
well-established clumps, or
any plants that are starting
to go bare in the centre now,
and divide them to make new
plants and reinvigorate them.
Summer-fl owering
perennials, such as delphiniums
and daylilies, are best divided
now, but if this autumn is wet
and cold, or you have heavy
clay soil, wait until spring. You
should also wait until spring
to divide tender perennials.

Method

1 If the weather has been dry,

water perennials well the day

before you divide them.

2 Use a fork or spade to lift the

entire clump, bringing its whole

rootball up and out of the soil.

3 Many wiry-rooted plants

divide well using the back-to-

back forks method (left). Push

two forks into the centre of

the clump, back-to-back, then

pull the handles in opposite

directions to prise the clump

apart. Repeat the process

to produce more divisions if

necessary. If the clumps are

relatively small, you can often

do the job with your hands.

4 Plants that have more

woody roots, such as daylilies

may need to be sliced into

smaller portions using a knife

or a sharp spade.

5 Dig organic matter into

the soil before replanting the

divisions in groups.

Things to Do

Keep up to date in the garden with our monthly guide to key gardening tasks

SEPTEMBER